The board felt pretty good, but it is a bit shorter than what I'm used to so had to adjust to that.
The board feels very rigid despite being inflatable. I found the deck a bit slippery compared to my F-One Rocket Wing V2. I did this first test without foot straps, but tried to keep my feet where they would be with straps. The stance feels super wide - even for a tall guy like me. For casual riding I will not use the back strap so I guess it will be fine.
I crashed a ton of times and I struggled to nail my jibes. This was mainly due to a very different balance than my other board. Also I didn't felt as connected to the foil as normal - maybe the added thickness of the board plays a role here.
The release was ok but not great. Also on touchdowns it's a lot harder to recover - at least riding strapless.
I was very curious to test how well I could balance the board as inflatables are known for being a bit wobbly. I had no problems, but it is definitely not for beginners!
Overall I'm satisfied with the board, especially for travel. For everyday riding I still prefer my Rocket Wing.
Setup:
Gong HiPe Pro 5'6 115L inflatable board
F-One Phantom 1480 foil and 85 alu mast
Takoon Wing V2 5.5m2
Rider: 100 kg
Camera: GoPro Max 360
Wind: super gusty between 16-30 knots
Location: Aalborg, Denmark
